In a dormroom where the instinct is to go cheap and disposable, wooden hangers can feel like a luxury. These from Ikea come in an 8 pack for $4.99 so they're totally affordable, and opening to closet to uniform hangers instantly makes it feel organized.

Some dorms have bathrooms attached to rooms but most UC schools have a communal bathroom at the end of the hall. Corral all your bath essentials in the caddy and never be stuck in the shower without conditioner again (ahem).

Like in any home, you need to filter the outside world as you walk in the door. Around here we call it a landing strip. This triple strip wall hook organizer gives you a place to hang up your bag and your jacket plus room to pin up notes to yourself or important papers that you need to take with you on your way out. Stash you mail on top of the hooks so it doesn't end up in a pile on the floor, or worse, spread out all over the room.

It's important to have a really comfortable pillow. $39 might seem steep since you probably already have one, but if you're still sleeping on the pillow that you've had your whole childhood, it might be time to invest in a new one (and in some really good sleep, you'll need it).

The upside to having a twin sized bed (yes there is an upside) is that bedding can be much less expensive. Like this totally of the moment pin tuck set, which is well below $100 for something that will feel luxurious and stylish.

In a small space, you have to stay organized, or you will really pay a price (trust us). The easiest way we've found is to just have lots of boxes to put things in. If you coordinate all your box colors, they won't look overwhelming. We like Ikea's storage options because they come in so many shapes and sizes at very reasonable prices.